How long to break them in? I'm spending hours on saddles that are uncomfortable at the moment with no chance of breaking them in!

I have a couple of B17's. They both started to soften and mould to my shape after around 3,000 km. Others experiences are different. And there are debates on various forums about ways to break them in faster.

The Walrus wrote:How long to break them in? I'm spending hours on saddles that are uncomfortable at the moment with no chance of breaking them in!

It really depends on what point you call them "broken in". Heavier people often find them OK from the beginning and they just get better while light people often report longer break in times. It also depends on the model of saddle. The Team Pro is the only stand out model that is hard to break in. At ~80Kg, the B17 variants didn't take very long to break in before they were more comfortable than anything I'd ever ridden previously. The Team Pro took at least 2 rides before it started to be better than feeling like a flexy bit of wood. It took about 500Km for me to think it was significantly better and it just got better from there.

Also keep in mind that they are tilt sensitive. In other words, you need to get the tilt finely adjusted for best fit.

How long to break them in? I'm spending hours on saddles that are uncomfortable at the moment with no chance of breaking them in!

I have a couple of B17's. They both started to soften and mould to my shape after around 3,000 km. Others experiences are different. And there are debates on various forums about ways to break them in faster.

Crikey! 3000kms??

I am a 60kg lightweight. Every Brooks I have ridden has been quite comfortable in shape (but hard) from day 1. My B66 began to shape after 400kms. Most others have become nicely shaped after 1000-1500kms, although after 3000kms they are really well broken in and very comfy.

Re treatments, I have hardly done anything except ride them. Brooks Proofide is recommended, but is mainly a waterproofing treatment not a softening agent.

The Walrus wrote:How long to break them in? I'm spending hours on saddles that are uncomfortable at the moment with no chance of breaking them in!

It really depends on what point you call them "broken in". Heavier people often find them OK from the beginning and they just get better while light people often report longer break in times. It also depends on the model of saddle. The Team Pro is the only stand out model that is hard to break in. At ~80Kg, the B17 variants didn't take very long to break in before they were more comfortable than anything I'd ever ridden previously. The Team Pro took at least 2 rides before it started to be better than feeling like a flexy bit of wood. It took about 500Km for me to think it was significantly better and it just got better from there.

Also keep in mind that they are tilt sensitive. In other words, you need to get the tilt finely adjusted for best fit.

Its difficult to know where to start when you look at the choices available on the website! I'm under 80 kilos and happy to put up with some discomfort in the short term...As long as I know it will get better.

I want something that looks good on a roadie but aesthetics are less important than comfort!

Edit: (this is re breaking in time)Another piece of string question. A lot will depend on weight, riding style, distance and even weather. One ride in the rain can make a big difference.

For many they are 'good enough' or better from the beginning, and improve further. For some they are an instrument of torture at first, particularly the harder ones like the Team Pro. Like any saddle getting it into the right position first is most important.

The softest of the saddles IME is the Swallow which is also the most copied one from my observation. The cheap knock-offs from Taiwan, (Sobdeal, Breza, Brora, Gyes etc.) are a good foot in the door. Something like this View item.

Regarding the padded shorts question - I commute 10kms each way wearing trousers and undies. However normally for longer rides (>20kms) I would wear knicks or MTB liner shorts. In my experience there is more to comfort than saddle chafe, and there is more to chafe than your saddle choice.

At the same time I do know of friends who ride quite long distance tours wearing ordinary shorts or trousers. These people do ride Brooks saddles.

The Walrus wrote:Its difficult to know where to start when you look at the choices available on the website! I'm under 80 kilos and happy to put up with some discomfort in the short term...As long as I know it will get better.

I want something that looks good on a roadie but aesthetics are less important than comfort!

Generally there are Swift, Swallow, B17 Narrow and Team Pro variants above. All are fairly narrow at about 150 to 155mm wide except the Team Pro which is 160mm. I suggest you measure your sit bone width then add 30mm at least. If a 152mm wide saddle still suits you, then you have a wide selection. It also depends on how low your bars are in reference to your saddle, or how much you angle you body forward. It is generally considered the lower you are, the narrower the saddle. That is why the touring models are all B17 variants (170mm) for a more upright position.

For example, I've got a ~10.5 to 11cm sit bone width. So in theory the Specialized Alias 143mm I bought years ago should have been wide enough, but I found myself "slipping off" to some degree. At the time, the bars were below saddle height too. So if in doubt, go wider. Just keep in mind that the Team Pro may be a break in battle if you are significantly under 80Kg.

ironhanglider wrote:Edit: (this is re breaking in time)Another piece of string question. A lot will depend on weight, riding style, distance and even weather. One ride in the rain can make a big difference.

For many they are 'good enough' or better from the beginning, and improve further. For some they are an instrument of torture at first, particularly the harder ones like the Team Pro. Like any saddle getting it into the right position first is most important.

The softest of the saddles IME is the Swallow which is also the most copied one from my observation. The cheap knock-offs from Taiwan, (Sobdeal, Breza, Brora, Gyes etc.) are a good foot in the door. Something like this View item.

Cheers,

Cameron

Likes this post. The ebay item is what started me down the leather road. Now there's a Swallow on the roadie and the commuter, a Swift on both MTBs and another knock off on the FG. The Swifts took more work to be fabulous but were good from the start anyway.

Probably the one advantage of a Brooks that enables regular shorts is that often the surface (especially when new) is so slippery that your clothing moves with you, minimizing the incidence of chafe. Plastic padded or gel saddles tend to grab the clothing much more, along with the modern funky shapes. However on longer rides, especially at high intensity, climbing lots of mountains, and in summer, I find that sweatiness causes more issues. Your clothing has a greater tendency to cling to the saddle, together with the aggravation of sweaty skin, and all this makes chafing more likely.

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